You're Wrong About

Forty whacks with a wet noodle, Bart! This week, Princess Weekes tells Sarah the true story of the crime of the century… the nineteenth century, that is. You can find Princess on YouTube here . Support You're Wrong About: Bonus Episodes on Patreon Buy cute merch Where else to find us: Sarah's other show, You Are Good [YWA co-founder] Mike's other show, Maintenance Phase Links: https...

"What is it about the culture that has conditioned us to favor the wants and needs and desires, however horrible, of a serial murderer, as opposed to--most often--the women and girls that they harmed and killed?" This week, Sarah Weinman takes us on a backpacking trip through true crime history and American pop culture, and tells us about the myths and realities of criminal profiling—and...

Here's one from our bonus vault: you sent in your stories about moments when you found yourselves changing your minds, and we listened. When do we do it? Why do we do it? What does it take? Here are some of your answers. Support You're Wrong About: Bonus Episodes on Patreon Buy cute merch Where else to find us: Sarah's other show, You Are Good [YWA co-founder] Mike's other show...

Like so many other mostly imaginary topics, human trafficking is in the news again. Michael Hobbes—ever heard of him??—came by so Sarah could tell him about Sound of Freedom, a surprise hit summer movie that promises it can end child slavery, but only if you buy as many tickets as you can. Then, you can hear the episode we released on "human trafficking"—what it isn't, and what it i...

This week, Heather Radke brings us a tale of pageants, eugenics, and butts. You can find Heather online here. You can see Norma/Norman here . More on the Better Babies Pageants .  Support You're Wrong About: Bonus Episodes on Patreon Buy cute merch Where else to find us: Sarah's other show, You Are Good [YWA co-founder] Mike's other show, Maintenance Phase Links: http://www.heatherr...

This week, Sarah tells her favorite kind of story to American Hysteria’s Chelsey Weber-Smith: one where two girls hoaxed the world without trying very hard. You can find Chelsey + American Hysteria online here. Buy ‘Lullaby’ on Bandcamp here .  Support You're Wrong About: Bonus Episodes on Patreon Buy cute merch Where else to find us: Sarah's other show, You Are Good [YWA co-founder] Mik...

“Why don’t something happen?” Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow died in 1934, but their legend gets bigger every year. This week, Jamie Loftus brings us back to reality with a tale of prison breaks, FBI malfeasance, love, guitars, and hot dog breakfasts. You can find Jamie online here.   Support You're Wrong About: Bonus Episodes on Patreon Buy cute merch Where else to find us: Sarah's othe...

This week, we bring you a re-release from our bonus vault as Sarah tells Carolyn Kendrick about the making of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. We learn about the worlds of songwriting and production, how the music business has changed since the 1970’s, and of course all the interpersonal relationships that make us love to love this band. We will be back next week with a new episode. You can find Carolyn o...

This week, Sports Illustrated’s Julie Kliegman volleys with Sarah about trans athlete Renée Richards’s fight for her right to play in the U.S. Open. They also dig into how the dialogue surrounding trans athletes has and hasn’t changed in the 40-plus years since. Plus, are tennis balls hollow? An investigation. You can find Julie online here .  Support You're Wrong About: Bonus Episodes on Pat...

Fly with us, lesbian seagull. This week Radiolab’s Lulu Miller brings us a story of queer nature and scientists in denial, featuring seagulls, penguins, rams, swans, dolphins, and—maybe the gayest animal of all—humans. To learn more about the seagulls, and hear much more of Lulu’s story, check out Radiolab’s amazing new episode . You can find Lulu on Twitter here .  Support You're Wrong About...

“I felt that empathy like it was directed towards me, and it helped me feel like my unhappiness was enough.” On our fifth anniversary, we asked for your stories about what You’re Wrong About has meant to you. Here they are. Support us: Bonus Episodes on Patreon Donate on Paypal Buy cute merch Where else to find us: Sarah's other show, You Are Good [YWA co-founder] Mike's other show, Main...

“What if you were writing a profile on someone named Janet and I was your editor, and I was like, ‘I’m sorry, for balance, find someone who wants to kill Janet’?” This week, Tuck Woodstock, host of Gender Reveal, takes us on a journey through the New York Times’ coverage of trans issues—and in the end, he points the way to a better future. You can find Tuck / Gender Reveal online here . You can fi...

 In 1988, twenty-year-old American figure skater Debi Thomas headed to the Calgary Olympics to face off against East German juggernaut Katarina Witt. In the process, she became the first Black American in history to medal at a Winter Olympics. Then she disappeared from the sport. Where did she go, and who wasn’t there to catch her when she fell? This week, Leslie Gray Streeter tells Sarah about gr...

This week, we fight the real enemy with Allyson McCabe.   Here's where to find Allyson online here . You can find Allyson's book Why Sinéad O'Connor Matters here . Support us: Bonus Episodes on Patreon Donate on Paypal You're Wrong About Spring Tour Buy cute merch Where else to find us: Sarah's other show, You Are Good  [YWA co-founder] Mike's other show, Maintenance...

This week, national treasure Amanda Knox talks with Sarah about what the American legal system claims to be for, what it’s actually doing, and what might be possible in the future. They entertain the most heretical ideas they can think of, which mostly seem to be about unconditional love and mercy. And at the end, Sarah’s ghost boyfriend Clarence Darrow turns up.   Here's where to find Amanda...

This week, criminal justice correspondent Josie Duffy Rice dives into America’s obsession with prosecuting children. From 19th century houses of refuge to modern day detention centers, we comb through the tangled braids of juvenile incarceration, tough on crime fallacies, as well as criminality and its dark shadow of capitalism. Please take care while listening.  Side bars include ice cream boats,...

This week, survival correspondent Blair Braverman tells Sarah the story of a Supertramp. In 1996, Jon Krakauer's book Into the Wild described a young man, Chris McCandless, who changed his name, walked into the Alaskan bush, and died after mistakenly eating a toxic plant. Or did he? Now, Sarah and Blair talk about the McCandless archive and its legacy in conversations around wilderness, Alask...

This week, a tale of two Shawns/Seans, their impossible dream, and the file sharing service that lived fast, died young, and helped create the internet as we know it. Plus, Metallica. Here's where to find Niko: Website Newsletter Twitter Resources cited in the show introduction: The Racial Roots Behind the Term "Nappy" on NPR's Code Switch https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitc...

In this episode, Carolyn and Sarah follow Karen from the height of her fame through her struggle to find independence, her attempts at eating disorder recovery, and finally to her death on February 4, 1983, when she was just 32 years old. Then it's time to sing a song. We extensively discuss eating disorders, disordered eating, and everything that goes with them in this episode. Please listen...

Long ago and oh so far away, Carolyn and Sarah fell in love with Karen Carpenter when they saw her drum. We examine her meteoric rise.  CONTENT WARNING: Karen Carpenter died in 1983 of complications from an eating disorder. Most of our eating disorder discussion will take place in Part II, but we never quite get away from the topic here either. Please listen with care. Here's where to find Ca...

On October 14, 1987, 18-month-old Jessica McClure fell down a well in Midland, Texas. This week, Sarah tells our survival correspondent, Blair Braverman, about the community that worked to rescue her, and the nation that watched. Here's where to find Blair: Website Twitter Small Game [book] Support us: Bonus Episodes on Patreon Donate on Paypal Buy cute merch Where else to find us: Sarah&apos...

They’re winsome and soft and so fun to cuddle/ With one of Ty’s Beanie Babies, you could never go wrong/ But they were all born from a toxic puddle/ It really was capitalism all along. This week, Jamie Loftus tells us the story of the greatest toy fad of the 90s, and liberates us from our tiny plastic boxes.   Here's where to find Jamie: Jamie's Website Support us: Bonus Episodes on Patr...

Put on your Docksiders for a stroll through history with Avery Trufelman, who shows us how Ivy style became “preppy,” and how preppy fashion escaped the campus and took over the world. We’re talking about clothing, class, race, and the American dream: you may be through with the polo shirt, but the polo shirt isn’t through with you. Here's where to find Avery: Articles of Interest on Substack...

How did Poltergeist get that PG rating? Podcast legend Karina Longworth, host of You Must Remember This, takes us on a wild ride through a century or so of Hollywood history, and shows us what’s been left on the cutting room floor. Here's where to find Karina: Website You Must Remember This Support us: Bonus Episodes on Patreon Donate on Paypal Buy cute merch Where else to find us: Sarah&apos...

Our survival correspondent Blair Braverman is here to tell us the story of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which crashed in the Andes on October 13, 1972. Of the 45 people on board, 16 ultimately lived. Their survival made them heroes, until the way they survived shocked the world. This week, a story of glaciers, peanuts, and friendship. Here's where to find Blair: Website Twitter Small Game...